More Houston Testimonies

I went on the mission trip to serve and learn, and I did learn but not the things I thought I would. Instead of giving me some new insight about His heart for people or the world, God revealed things inside of me. I learned that I had been serving as a ‘favor’ to God, as if it was out of my own goodness that I was able to serve. Then it hit me that God doesn’t really need me at all. He could care for this world without me, but it is His delight to let me take part in His plans, to use my life and to use me. It is an honor to serve Him. It is through His goodness and His love that I am able to serve. I also found He showed Himself to me just as much, if not more, than I showed Him to others through serving. -Rachel Beise

Every mission trip stands out in my mind for a different reason, and each seems to carry a special theme in my life and relationship with God. Last year in Chicago, I was extremely moved in my faith and perseverance. This year in Houston, the theme for me was interaction and dedication. Interaction with the people in my team, the people that we volunteered with, the people we volunteered for, and interaction with God. Team Nasa--led by Jeffery (a.k.a. captain jeffery pants)--bonded extremely well, and we were able to utilize everyone's different personalities to achieve an extreme amount of connection and servitude to the people we were helping. My interaction with God was zeroed in on through devotions and prayer partners, and through seeing the many small miracles and moments that God blessed us with during our trip. Dedication came into play when I began feeling like we weren't needed in a few of our sites. I had to think through what i was doing and realize that I was still helping...even though I couldn't see the end result, there still was one. Even though sorting medical supplies was dull and confusing...I was helping save someone's life. And through the week I felt I became more dedicated to God, more open to sit down and spend time praying and staying focused on Him and His plan for me.

Through the joy on the kids' faces, writing our own Psalms, eating some amazing icecream, putting together hundreds of sandwiches, leaping over van seats to deliver lunches, working on fractions, dancing the macarina, huge water walls and God moments, amazing debriefs (with my group and with Dawn and Karen in a parking lot :) ), an intense case of hives, and some touching conversations, I found myself drawn even closer to the love and comfort of God. This week left me in awe of what He can offer to us if we just remain open to Him. -Kara Goodier